Dental tooth-regulating appliance.



E. H. ANGLE. DENTAL TOOTH REGULATING APPLIANCE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 1, 1910. REiIEWED AUG.18,1911.

LQJVLUQQD P n e 2111.9, 1912.

' UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

. EI)WARD H. ANGLE, OF NEW LONDON, CONNECTICUT.

DENTAL 'IOOTH-REGULATING' APPLIANCE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed June 1, 1910, Serial No. 564,348. Renewed August 18, 1911. serial No. 644,891.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known t-hatI, EDWARD H. ANGLE,

citizen of the United States, residing at New London, in the county of New London and State of Connecticut, have invented a cr- -tain new anduseful' Improvement in DentalTooth-Regulating Appliances; and I do to which it appertains to make and use the same.

- My invention relates to an improvement in orthodontia or dental tooth regulat ng appliances of the class comprising an elastic arch-bar and means for securing said archbar to the teeth in the human mouth.

The object of my invention is to provide a dental regulating arch-bar having connected therewith a torslou device for applying rotative and other pressure to malposed teeth. To this end the invention consists of the appliance indicated in the accompanying drawings, described in the following specification and pointed out, in the claims atthe conclusion thereof.

In said drawings Figure I is a plan View of an arch-bar to which my invention is applied shown as mounted upon a human dental arch. Fig. II-is a front view thereof. Fig/III is a perspective view on an enlarged scale of one form of my improved torsion device detached from the arch-bar. Fig. IV is-a view in side elevation showing another form of torsion device. Figs. V and VI are similar views of other forms of torsion devices. Fig. VII is a view indicating one method of applying the tors1on. de-

-vice to a malposed tooth,

and Fig. VIII :1 view indicating another method of applying said device to said tooth.

My improved appliance comprises a curved or bowed arch-bar 1 and a torsion device 2 connected therewith. While any suitable arch-bar may be used in connection with my torsion device I prefer that it, or at least its middle section 1, be a very delicate spring, sm'all diameter,

having little resiliency and capable of exerting but slight pressure when under tension. Means are provided for securing. the teeth-the molar teeth 3 usually being used As indicated in Fig. I, these means may consist of the well-known anchor bands 4:, anchor tube 5, externally bar.

Still another form of torsion deviceis inupon the band such as iridio-platinum wire of arch-bar to anchor or abutmentslipping threaded end sect-ions 6 of the arch-bar, and

Patented Jan. 9,1912.

adjusting'nuts 7. Other means may be employed if desired.

. The torsion device sists essentially of a coil '8 havin members or extensions, one of whic '9 is connected to. the middle se ent 1 of the arch-bar, and the other mem b forms an arm or finger adapted to -bear' u-pon a malposcd tooth pressure thereto.

The preferred form of torsion device indi-' cated in Figs. II and III has detachable connection with the arch-bar, the coil 8 of the torsion devicefitting upon a postor spur 11 projecting from the arch-bar. The member 9 is formed into a hook 12 which engages the arch-bar, the other member or arm 10 bearing upon the nialposed tooth 13. The form of torsion device indicated in Fig. IV

2 :(see Fig. III) ain attached to said itfidl-bfll as by solder, at 14.

In this form of torsion device tlie'coil 8is not fitted on the post orspilr'of thearchdicated in Fig. V. In this for'minfiead of the coil 8 being detachably secured to a spur or post of cured directly to said arch-bar as in Fig. IV, said member 9 is fixedly secured to a ring or (slide 15 fitted upon said arch-bar; or said ring 15 may have a spur or post 11 projecting from it and upon which the coil 8 may See Fig. VI.

The finger or arm 10 of the torsion device may bear directly upon the malposed tooth 13 as indicated in- Fig. II, It is bet.- ter, however, to have said fin er bear upon a band 16 surrounding and E to said tooth-e-See Fig. V1131. This fi re also indicates a simple means for hol ing said finger in place upon thetooth, orrather surrounding the same- A pinor section of wire 17 is inserted in a tube 18 on the band and cut away. at 19, and the finger 10 passes under-the ex osed portion '0 the pm 17 and is thus eldl from .011 the tooth. A similar result may be attained by inserting the coil 8 of the torsion'device irn-the cut away portion.19 of the band tube 18 and then mserting the,

post or spur 11 of thearch -bar through said;

the arch-bar as in the preferrcd' form, oaths 'rnember .9 -filedly s9; v

two

er 10 .ofwhich is fixedly secured'to the arch-bar, the member 9-in thisinstance being rigidly be fitted as in the preferred form.-

rmly secured ;45 the one hand and tube and coil.See Fig. VIII. The torsion device isthus securely held ,in position with .the finger bearing upon the band 16. Inthe operation of my improved appliance the archfbar is mounted upon the natural teeth in the usual manner, the" regulatingnut 7 in this instance, however,

belng-used more-for adjusting the arch-bar to position than for regulating the malposed 10 tooth, since the restoration of this tooth to its proper position in the dental archis to be accomplished chiefiyby the-torsion, device. After the arch-bar is properly mounted and adjusted the arm or finger 'lOof the torsion device is brought to bear upon the malposed tooth, or upon the band surrounding the same, as before explained, With the 4 appliance properly adjusted and placed under tension, the torsion. device: will exert pressure upon the malposed tooth to move it in the desired direction. v

While the chief function of the device is to. effect the rotation'ofa tooth, it will be readily perceived that the appliance may also be used for moving a tooth in a direct line. It must also be understood that sev- 'eral teeth may be "acted upon at'the same time as many torsion devices .as may be necessary being connected-to the arch-bar" and applied one to each. of the malposed teeth.

-With an arch-bar provided with one or more of my improved torsion devices a con-' stant, continuous and gentle force fonrotation, and also for-direct movement, may be exerted upon a malposed tooth or teeth and this force effectually maintained for weeks without attention. Because ofits delicacy, compactness, and its close adaptation to the 40 teeth, it will be practically. out of the way,

it will be inconspicuous and of no realizable inconvenience to the patient. In other words, it is characterized by extremesimplicity of construction and operation on painless effectiveness on a the other hand.

Coiled springshave heretofore been used in orthodontia for accomplishing tooth vrotation and other tooth movements,'but so 5D far as I am aware, I am the first to use such a spring in connection with an arch-bar. Not only does the arch-bar afi'ord superior support or hearing for the .torsion device, but it also enables said device to be better controlled, the spring of said arch-and that ofthe spur to which the torsion device is connected actually assisting in the tooth movement. The arch-bar may. be bent to a coiled spring torsion device having de-. tachableconnection with sald arch-bar.

} 3. A tooth regulating device consisting of an arm or finger adapted to bear upon a malposed tooth for applying pressure thereto, a coiled spring for imparting rotative force to said arm or finger, and means for connecting said device to'an arch-bar.

4. A tooth regulating device consisting of a coiled spring adapted to fit upon 'a spur projecting from an arch-bar having one end extended into an arm or finger for bearing upon and applying force to a malposed tooth-andtheother end formed into a'hook for engaging said arch-bar.

v 5. vIn a tooth regulating appliance the combination of an arch-bar, means for connecting'said.arcl1-bar to anchor teeth, and a coiled spring torsion device having sliding connection with said arch-bar.

6. In atooth regulating appliance the combination of an arch-bar, a spur projecting' therefrom, means for connecting said arch-bar to anchor teeth, a torsion device adapted to be fitted upon said spur and having means for applying force to a malposed tooth. a

" 7. In a tooth regulating appliance the combination of a resilient arch-bar and a coiled spring torsion device connected'therewith. p

In testimony whereof I have fixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

EDWARD H. ANGLE. Witnesses:

JAMES .H. CAssmY, NATHAN Bn'LcHnR. 

